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Sunday, November 24, 2013

I'm
not much of a sweets kind of person. My husband, on the hand, could
eat a piece of cake for breakfast and wash it down with a bowl of ice
cream every day if he could.

But when I do have
dessert, I like it to be light and tasty. That's where this vanilla
souffle comes in. It's delicate, but complex in flavor. Simple, but a
show stopper. Obviously, I waited a little too long to take pictures
because it started to deflate after a bit. But it still tasted
wonderful, and in the end, that's what really matters, right? Right.Ingredients:

In
a small saucepan, combine the flour, milk, and 1/3 cup sugar. Slowly
bring the mixture to a boil, whisking frequently to prevent lumps. When
the mixture begins to thicken, remove from heat and let cool.

Whisk in the egg yolks, one at a time and continue until all yolks are incorporated. Beat in the 2 tablespoons of butter.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk the egg whites, salt, and remaining tablespoon of sugar until stiff peaks form.

Fold the meringue into the egg yolk mixture and then stir in vanilla.

Divide the mixture between the ramekins, filling them about 3/4 of the way full.

Place
the ramekins carefully on a baking sheet and transfer to the oven.
Turn heat down to 375 F and bake for 25-30 minutes or until souffle has
risen and is golden brown.

Carefully remove from the oven and dust with powdered sugar. Serve immediately.

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

It seems that Christmas gets thrown in our faces earlier and earlier every year. I remember when I didn't see a single Christmas decoration or hear a note of a single Christmas song until the day after Thanksgiving. This year, I pretty much woke up the day after Halloween to aisles flooded with Christmas candy and knick knacks - the alarm set to a horrible country radio station (sorry for all you country music fans) unforgivably playing Christmas tunes. I mean, can't we give Thanksgiving a chance, first?

Well, I guess if you can't beat 'em, join 'em.

My husband loves the taste of peppermint-anything. Throw chocolate in the mix and he's in heaven. So since it's pretty close to the big guy's birthday, I decided to whip up a little dessert to put a smile on his cute face.Ingredients:

Combine the egg yolks and 3/4 cup sugar in a medium, stainless steel bowl. Beat with a hand mixer until pale yellow and the mixture allows ribbons to form.

Beat in the Peppermint Schnapps until combined.

Set up a double boiler on the stove, being careful not to let the bottom of the bowl touch any water (you only need about an inch of water in the pot). Beat the mixture until it starts to thicken and slightly foams up. The mixture should be warm to the touch. Set mixture aside while you melt the chocolate.

In another medium, stainless steel bowl, combine the chocolate and coffee. Set the bowl over the double boiler and stir until chocolate is completely melted. Remove from heat and stir in the butter.

Slowly pour the chocolate mixture in with the egg mixture and beat until all the chocolate is incorporated.

In the bowl of a stand mixer or using a hand mixer with the whisk attachment, combine the egg whites, salt, and remaining tablespoon of sugar. Whisk until stiff peaks form.

Fold the meringue in with the chocolate mixture until all is incorporated. Divide the mixture into serving dishes and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

When ready to serve, top with whipped cream and sprinkles.

This is definitely a tasty treat. The peppermint doesn't over power the chocolate at all, but instead, it accentuates it to create quite the delicious bite!

So if you're looking for something to serve at one of the many holiday dinner parties this year, look no further! Enjoy the rest of the week, guys!

Monday, October 28, 2013

There's one thing that every Kentuckian knows. Whether they drink it. Cook with it. Collect it. Kentucky knows Bourbon. After all, it's our unique limestone shelves that filter our waters to produce the best bourbon in the country, if not the world.

My husband, is definitely a fan of the drinking aspect. Me, on the other hand, I love to cook with it. This raspberry sauce can be used savory or sweet. In this instance, it turned a normal banana split sundae into a phenomenal one.

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

It's been quite a while since I last posted. I thought working throughout the week during the day would give me more time, but apparently my time is still limited. But I'm a lot happier when I can walk out of work and still have plenty of daylight to enjoy!

Anyway, don't worry, I've still been plenty busy in the kitchen! We had a little get together for a game night not too long ago and served this really delicious salmon mousse as a snack and it was gone before we knew it!

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter under medium high heat. Add shallot, carrot, celery, and onion. Cook until just translucent.

Add the fish stock, water, tomato, black peppercorns, and bay leaf.

Bring pot to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Add salmon. Poach until just starting to flake, about medium.

Remove the salmon from the liquid and let cool.

In a food processor or Vitamix, add salmon, madeira, nutmeg, and heavy whipping cream. Blend until smooth or at desired texture for dip. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve with crackers or crostini and garnish with small bits of fresh dill.

This is definitely an easy winner in my book! So simple and fast, you'll have a tasty dip in no time! Definitely a good choice for those football watching parties, too!

Thursday, August 15, 2013

State Fair Season is right upon us. In Kentucky, the State Fair starts today and goes until Aug. 25. One of our favorite things to do at the fair is eat... obviously. And one of our favorite booths to visit is definitely one that offers Greek gyros!

Every now and then, we'll divulge at home with gyros of our own. They're so easy, and versatile - not to mention completely delicious!

For these, I pickled some beets, made some orange-cucumber tzatziki, and loaded up on some grape tomatoes and lettuce. Pair those accompaniments with some marinated chicken, and you've got a meal!

To assemble, place one or two pieces of chicken in the center of each pita. Top with lettuce, grape tomatoes, onions, pickled beets, and tzatziki (I simple combined plain greek yogurt, orange juice, and finely diced cucumber). And you've got yourself one heck of a gyro!

Thursday, August 1, 2013

I recently became the proud owner of a Vitamix blender. Working in the restaurant industry, I've been exposed to these blending beauties for quite some time, but never splurged on one for our home. That day finally came about a month or so ago. And what a glorious day it was.

Andy seems to think it's main use is to make a variety of milkshakes. I constantly find quarts of ice cream in the freezer labelled "milkshakes, please". But for me, it means I can make silky smooth purees, vinaigrettes, and a plethora of other culinary delights.

So for this dish, I paired the savory roasted items with a tart parsley-dijon vinaigrette and a smooth parsnip puree. Andy cleared his plate in a matter of minutes and said that I could make this dish over and over again without any complaints from him. Sounds like a winner in my book!

In a medium bowl, toss the beets, celery root, pear, apple, and shallot with olive oil to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast for about 20-25 minutes, turning vegetables and fruit halfway through.

For the parsnip puree, combine the parsnips, milk, heavy cream, and butter in a medium sauce pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook until the parsnips are fork-tender.

Strain the liquid from the parsnips, but reserve it, don't throw it away.

Place the parsnips in a Vitamix (or you can use an immersion or regular blender, too) and blend on low speed, adding the reserved liquid until you get your desired texture. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

For the vinaigrette, place the parsley, lemon juice, dijon mustard, honey, garlic, and apple cider vinegar in Vitamix (or regular blender). Turn on medium speed and slowly add the oil until completely emulsified. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Heat a large saute pan under medium high heat and add oil. Season both sides of chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Add the chicken to the pan, skin-side down. Cook until skin is golden brown, then flip chicken over and cook until white throughout.

To plate, place a good amount of the roasted vegetables on the center of the plate. On one side, spoon some of the vinaigrette. On the other side, place a good dollop of the parsnip puree. Place the seared chicken breast, skin-side up on top of the vegetables.

Thursday, July 25, 2013

Most
people wouldn't think of cold mushrooms as something that would be
appetizing. I know that they kind of gave me a queezy feeling at first,
but when done right, in a nice flavorful broth, they can be quite
amazing.

Serve them by themselves, part of a vegetable
platter, or even dare to heat them up and serve them with steak if you
can't bare trying them cold. Either way, they are tasty enough in
whatever atmosphere you put them in.

Ingredients:1 lb. portobello mushrooms (or any mushrooms for that matter)Broth:

You're
basically going to create a really flavorful mushroom broth and pretty
much simmer the mushrooms in that broth. It's totally full of tons of
umami and the stock can be strained and used for the base of soups,
sauces, or whatever else you want - don't let it go to waste!

In
a large saucepan, combine the water, lemon juice, green onions, celery,
fennel, thyme, peppercorns, coriander, tomatoes, and mushrooms stems.
Heat under medium heat and bring to a simmer. Let simmer for at least
10 minutes.

Slice up your mushrooms to bite size pieces
(I made 1/2 inch slices on the portobellos and then cut those in half
vertically - depending on the mushrooms you use, you can choose to slice
them or not... just use your best judgement)

Add the
mushrooms to the broth and cook until the mushrooms are tender, about
10-15 minutes for the portobellos. Again, depending on your type of
mushroom you use, the cook time will vary.

Strain the
broth and remove the mushrooms, reserving the liquid for future use. I
know picking them out is kind of a pain, but you could always put the
solid ingredients in a cheesecloth to make it easier.

Let cool to room temperature before serving.

Serve the mushrooms on a platter, or as a side dish for your proteins of choice. Garnish with fresh herbs.

And voila, a tasty mushroom and a flavorful broth all in one. Didn't think you'd get a two for one today, did ya?!